3 Criteria for Choosing Employee Scheduling Software

Jason Walker

3 Criteria for Choosing Employee Scheduling Software

Jason Walker, President of Americas February 27, 2017

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Whether you’ve been in business for a while or recently opened shop, if you’re reading this, it’s probably because you’ve embraced the 21st century, ditched your printed Excel spreadsheets and decided that an employee scheduling software is exactly what you need. With more than 500 different kinds of software out there, all claiming to be the best, how do you know which one is the best fit?

Maybe you need software that simply digitally creates schedules or perhaps one that also integrates with POS or payroll. Some employee management software offer ways to train employees on a specific type of machinery, which may be great for the manufacturing industry, but may not be worth it for a restaurant or healthcare office. And what about future plans to grow? One type of software may be good for a company of 8, but if you’re a company of 800, you’ll have different needs and will require a specific solution to help scale your business.

Researching all of these different employee management software offerings can quickly become overwhelming and worst of all, time consuming. To make the decision easier, here are three key criteria to consider before choosing an employee scheduling software:

1. Will It Solve Your Unique Pain Points?

Every business has different challenges they face when it comes to human resources, including managing your workforce. Even within the same industry, a coffee shop may have vastly different issues than the one across town; for instance, a location near a local college may make it much easier to find high-quality employees. Before researching employee scheduling software, it’s important to first identify the reasons you need it in first place. Ask yourself the following questions:

Is your payroll sometimes late, inaccurate or taking up too much of your time?

Is your business growing so quickly that you need to speed up the hiring or onboarding process?

Is there a constant breakdown in communication between your teams?

Not all employee scheduling software are created equal. If you have a minor pain point that can be resolved with simple software, the cost of a full suite may not be worth it. The key is to first identify exactly what you want to accomplish with an employee management software before spending time and resources trying different types of software that end up being the wrong fit.

2. How Easy Is It for You and Your Employees to Use?

You’ve identified your pain points, and now it’s time to do your research. More than 60 percent of managers say the technological pace of change is too slow in their companies due to lack of communication about the benefits of new software.

A key question to keep in mind is: who is the most technologically-inept person in your company? (Be honest with yourself — it may be you!) Whoever that person is, they’ll need to be trained on how to use this software. Finding a program that’s intuitive and relatively easy to use is essential to employee adoption success. While every new software has a learning curve, choose the one that takes the least amount of time to learn and use. Even if you need employee scheduling software that does everything for you, there are options that are still relatively easy to learn.

There’s a good chance that, no matter the kind of software, there will be employees who are still resistant to change. However, there are a few ways to make the transition seamless and less painful. For example, using software that requires multiple days of training, is complex to operate or has frequent “buffering” moments, will be off-putting to you and your team. Finding a software with a simple design that’s easy to download and use on any mobile device will increase the chances of an employee using it again.

3. Is the Software Compatible with Existing Technology?

In order for business owners to have a full view of business performance, it is vital that an employee scheduling software be compatible with current systems, such as payroll, point-of-sale and reporting.

Too often, this criterion is ignored when business owners research new programs. Yet, it is one of the more critical aspects for business owners looking to improve operations. This kind of integration can improve productivity, save time and resources and, best of all, provide you with full visibility into money going in and money coming out of your company.

Another key factor to ensuring an employe management software is compatible with existing technology is to support today’s mobile business. Do you (and the majority of your employees) have an iPhone, Android or other smartphone? Do you switch from an iPhone, to tablet, to laptop when working? If so, you’ll want to ensure that the software is not only compatible, but provides seamless transition to keep up with your busy schedule. Make sure the software you choose can work across any operating system you have. Moreover, having employee scheduling software that has a mobile app for iPhone and Android makes scheduling much easier for employees.

So Which Software Is Right for You?It’s clear that business owners realize that they need an employee management software. Yet, with more than 500 types of software available, it’s tough to know which one is right fit for specific needs. By taking a strategic approach to making this decision, companies and HR managers will ensure they’re choosing the right kind of software for their company.

If you’re looking for the right kind of employee management software, Deputy can help. We offer easy-to-use employee scheduling software that fully integrates with some of the most popular POS and payroll systems. Visit www.deputy.com today for a free 30 day trial.

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